An Unnatural Faith, by Kari Anderson of the CLCC

I have been thinking lately about why our faith is so difficult to keep pure in a truly confessional way. I think the Lutheran faith is absolutely the most unnatural faith there is. As sinful human beings, it’s natural to think we need to contribute something to our salvation. The devil always is ready to convince us you can’t get something for nothing. That’s the way the world works. That is generally true in the left hand kingdom, but needs to be completely rejected in the right.

Falling away from the true faith has gone on all through history. Whether you talk about people in the Old Testament, the New Testament, or all the other ages in history since then, it’s amazing how God keeps drawing His people back to the truth.

Councils have met at times to write creeds, and try to stop false doctrine from creeping in. The Lutheran Confessions are a great blessing God has given to us. We have a number of different confessional writings that are supposed to help keep us walking in the truth. But, alas, the devil still is constantly trying to mislead and deceive us into not following our articles of faith.

A pastor asked me recently if I thought that Lutherans have read the Confessions in years past. Now, maybe not too many did, but life was simpler in those days. Lutherans worshiped the same every Sunday, or at least nearly so. They lived their lives surrounded by more people of the same faith, because small communities were formed with people of that faith. All the different media weren’t available. (Now, there were some revivals that passed through, but they would have been warned of their danger by their shepherds.)

The Confessions are there for us to educate ourselves. The Lutheran Confessions or Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God. They keep us from straying so we don’t get caught up in the newest fad. It’s a good time in history to read both the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions to help keep us in our faith. Our faith was given to us as a precious gift, “but the devil is always prowling around looking for someone to devour.”(1 Peter 5:8). So, stay anchored in the Word, and let the Lutheran Confessions keep you on the straight and narrow way.

About Norm Fisher

Norm was raised in the UCC in Connecticut, and like many fell away from the church after high school. With this background he saw it primarily as a service organization. On the miracle of his first child he came back to the church. On moving to Texas a few years later he found a home in Lutheranism when he was invited to a confessional church a half-hour away by our new neighbors.

He is one of those people who found a like mind in computers while in Middle School and has been programming ever since. He's responsible for many websites, including the Book of Concord, LCMSsermons.com, and several other sites.

He has served the church in various positions, including financial secretary, sunday school teacher, elder, PTF board member, and choir member.

Comments

An Unnatural Faith, by Kari Anderson of the CLCC — 4 Comments

You said “A pastor asked me recently if I thought that Lutherans have read the Confessions in years past.” The answer, in my experience is Yes!.

A few years ago, when my Grandmother died, we were going through her things and I commented to my dad about the enormity and depth of her personal library particularly because my family were basically farmers from central Iowa. My dad told me (and I would have to agree with him, based on the conversations I had with them over the years) that while they were mostly self taught, my gramdparents and their peers were some of the best educated people he’d ever known, because they had plenty of time on their hands (farming is a 24/7 life, but there are plenty of lulls) with few distractions, and were too inteligent and practical to waste their time on frivolous persutes.

My grandparents studied the word regularly, and were very well versed in their catechisis, and most of my parents (pre-baby boomers) generation were raised to be too, from my midwestern perspective. I think by the time my generation rolled around (late baby boomers), there were so many distractions available that it was just kind of fell by the wayside. We need to re-educate ourselves and do a better job with our kids so that doesn’t happen with their generation. Thankfully, many of us have confessional pastors who take catechesis much more seriously than the generation that confirmed me. I’ve been through it (original confermation & Adult catechesis) 4+ times and my kids have a better grasp of it than I do in many repects (thanks Pastor Newman).

I appreciate your column. I faith were logical or “natural” to our way of thinking, it wouldn’t be faith.

Kari,
You said
“The Lutheran Confessions or Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God.”

I agree with that completely! The LCMS adheres to the Quia (Because) subscription of the Book of Concord. But many people, pastors and laity, in the LCMS seem to hold to the Quatenus (insofar as) subscription.

I think it is VERY important to distinguish between these two schools of thought. The BoC keeps us grounded in the proper interpretation of scripture. We as Lutherans are supposed to hold to the principle of interpreting scripture with scripture and according to the context. The Confessions are the curb that keep us on that narrow path of proper Biblical interpretation.

When folks say they believe in the BoC in so far as it adheres to scripture that gives them the *freedom* to say things like “that is your interpretation” “My interpretation say’s x, y or z” which may be against sound standards of interpretation and make a persons personal feelings just as valid as Luther and Melanchthon educated study over a number of years.